Branches
by Nate Grey
Summary: Hinata has always feared being forced into the Branch House. But somehow, the new seal on her forehead has accomplished everything that she has been unable to. Sealed Hina x ANBU Naru, Sakura-bashing.
1. Chapter 1

Notes: For some reason, ideas for short stories keep coming to me while I'm working on the next two chapters of "The Nature of Love." I've seen some people touch on this idea, but nobody every really pursues it beyond that. So I thought I'd try to run with it.

Summary: Hinata has always feared being forced into the Branch House. But the new seal on her forehead somehow accomplishes the things she has never been able to.

**Branches**

**A Naruto Oneshot by**

**Nate Grey (xman0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

* * *

The first sight that greets Hinata's weary eyes is that of Neji staring down at her. She cannot decide what is more dominant in his expression: shock or disgust.

She knows his eyes are trained on her exposed forehead.

Briefly, Hinata considers asking him, politely, to give her something for the throbbing pain in her head. Two things stop her: the realization that this pain is normal after the sealing, and the fact that they are technically equals now. Realistically, Neji has a higher place in the Branch House, if only because of his genius, but Hinata has never spoken an unkind word to any of them, and she knows that is not easily forgotten.

Neji moves first: he wordlessly drapes a strip of cool, damp cloth over her forehead. It soothes the ache, and Hinata is grateful, but her throat is raw.

From the screaming earlier, she recalls, and tears spring to her eyes.

Her father had been the one to perform the sealing. If the rumors were true, he could have allowed someone else to do so.

Neji seems to know, and does not appear to expect any thanks. "Once your strength has returned, I will show you where you'll be staying from now on," he tells her.

Hinata is surprised, and feels she must show it. "You... were ordered to?" she whispers.

"No," he replies simply, offering nothing more, but also not looking at her.

"Do you... still hate me?"

"No. I pity you."

Hinata cannot explain why that brings a smile to her face, but when Neji sees it, he doesn't look away.

* * *

Breakfast is a new affair.

In the Main House, no one can eat until everyone is present and seated. Being late, or not showing up at all, is the height of rudeness.

The Branch House cannot afford to do the same, even if they wanted to. One never knows when they will be summoned by the Main House, so eating quickly takes priority to manners. Food is prepared early, set out, and kept warm for those who want it. Eating together is largely a luxury, and usually no more than two or three people manage it. Neji's team meets early, just as Hinata's does, so they are able to eat together.

The servants (Hinata is ashamed to admit that she still thinks of them as such, even though this is truly her family, now) are kind and patient with her. An older woman offers a small jar of ointment, to keep the skin around the seal from becoming infected. Hinata thanks her repeatedly, but the woman simply grasps her hands tenderly before moving on.

She knows that most of them pity her, but even that is better than the hatred, dislike, or indifference she received in the Main House.

Neji eats quickly, pausing only to answer when Hinata has a question about the way things are done. He is eager to begin training, and (Hinata suspects) to get away from her. She doesn't expect him to be around all of the time, but he has been far more patient with her than she feels she deserves.

But the end of breakfast brings up a new concern: Hinata's team has not seen her since she received the seal. There is no real way to hide it: the medicated cloth on her forehead is fairly large out of necessity, and moving her headband over it would only make it more noticeable. Kiba is bound to smell the medicine, anyway, and Shino is sensitive to any shift in her mood.

It might even be better just to tell them at once, to avoid the awkwardness, and to assure them that she is fine.

* * *

"I am in the Branch House now."

Kiba does everything in his power to hold in the snarl, but it slips out, anyway. He calms down only when Hinata reaches out to gratefully stroke his cheek, and she allows him to fold her into a crushing, warm hug. Akamaru whines and pushes his head into her side, not wanting to be left out. She giggles and hugs him, too.

"How are they treating you, Hinata?" Shino asks. He will not offer a hug, and Hinata does not expect one. But his concerned words have the feel of one, and they are welcomed.

"Everyone has been so nice to me."

"So no contact with the Main House yet."

"N-No. Not yet." Suddenly she misses Hanabi, fiercely and overwhelmingly.

Kurenai squeezes her shoulder firmly. "Hinata. You know you are always welcome in my home, even if it would cause problems for-"

Hinata smiles up at her, places her own hand over the jounin's. "I know, Kurenai-sensei. Thank you."

"When are you going to tell everybody else?" Kiba asks, looking a little uncomfortable. He is trying to be supportive, and she loves him for it, but they both know part of him will never be okay with what has been done to her. To an Inuzuka, no person is meant to be tamed or held back in such a manner, reduced to little more than a beast of burden.

"There's no point in trying to hide it, Kiba-kun. I'm sure it will be all over the village soon enough. I am not ashamed, to be like Neji. Maybe... this is a second chance for me."

* * *

On her way to have lunch with her team, Hinata is ambushed.

Sakura, who she has never felt particularly close to (largely due to the pinkhead's harsh treatment of Naruto when they were younger), drags Hinata to the Hokage Tower, going on and on about how they have no time to waste. And in that she is correct.

Over the next few hours, Sakura, Shizune, and Tsunade herself poke and prod at the seal. This is their first opportunity to study a "fresh" one, and Hinata lets them, in the hope that others of her clan might somehow benefit from the research. Perhaps Tsunade can create a counter-seal of sorts.

It is only when the ordeal is done that Tsunade truly surprises Hinata.

"From now on, Hinata, you are to immediately inform me of anyone who activates your seal."

"Why, Hokage-sama?" Hinata asks before she can stop herself. Much as she hates it, this seal has long been part of her life, and part of her even thinks of it as normal.

"So I can punish them, of course," Tsunade replies without missing a beat. "I see no reason to destroy a person's brain because of a few mistakes. And I highly doubt there is anything that you could or would do that would warrant such treatment."

"B-But if I did that, then..."

Tsunade frowned at her. "It's either that, or I have ANBU follow you around. More than they do already, anyway."

Naturally, this completely derails Hinata's train of thought. "Why is ANBU following me, Hokage-sama?"

"They're ANBU," Tsunade says simply. "They follow everyone at some point."

This does not satisfy Hinata at all, but she can tell from Tsunade's tone that the subject is closed. "The ones following me will only report back to you?"

"That's right. If you do manage to spot them, I have to ask that you don't try to see through their masks. They'll probably signal you, so that you know they're around."

* * *

The signal, oddly enough, is a coupon for free ramen that floats out of the sky. Hinata looks up in time to see a brown blur vanishing over a rooftop, and wonders if she would've seen even that much if the ANBU hadn't intended her to. But at any rate, free ramen is free ramen, and she did miss lunch.

Along the way, she runs into Ino, Shikamaru, and Chouji. Ino spends the whole time pretending not to stare, while Shikamaru is satisfied with a somewhat long glance. Chouji, surprisingly, offers Hinata a large, unopened bag of barbecue-flavored chips. She takes a few to be polite, and insists on sharing the rest with him and Shikamaru (Ino doesn't eat chips, or so she claims).

Upon learning that she is on her way to lunch (again), Chouji asks to join her, and Shikamaru volunteers since he has nothing better to do. Ino is appalled at the thought of eating two lunches, and leaves shortly.

As she eats with them, Hinata is struck by the fact that she has never spent much time with either boy. She has no idea why, now: Chouji is easy to talk to, and Shikamaru is an excellent listener. Hinata wonders how much easier her life might have been, if she'd spoken to them earlier. A sympathetic ear from someone her own age would've meant a great deal when she was younger. Even now, Hinata is not really as close to the others as she would like, save for her own teammates. This is especially the case for Naruto, who seems to, unfortunately, only think of her as a sister or a permanently sick friend, thanks to her constant blushing around him.

The ANBU from earlier makes a brief appearance on a nearby rooftop as Hinata leaves the ramen stand. She knows it is the same one because he goes to the trouble of waving, briefly, before dropping out of sight. Something about his mask, which resembles a monkey's face, puts her at ease, though she will not realize why until the next time she spots Konohamaru tearing through the village on the back of his personal summon monkey, while Moegi, Udon, and an irate Iruka do their best to keep up.

* * *

Much to Hinata's surprise, she encounters Neji and his teammates on her way home. She realizes much later that they positioned themselves along the path in such a way that she almost had to go through them to reach the Hyuuga compound. Whether that was their idea or Neji's, she will never be sure.

Lee is the first to greet her, bounding up and offering several encouraging but loud words.

Tenten is quieter, thankfully, gently patting Hinata's back (and all the while subtly steering her away from Lee). She doesn't say much, and Hinata doesn't need her Byakugan to see that Tenten is nearly as upset as Kiba was, and probably for similar reasons. The purposeful weakening of a kunoichi without excellent reason is practically a sin in Tenten's eyes, and Hinata finally understands why she feels so strongly about such things. Even if she redoubles her efforts in every aspect of her training, the seal will remain her greatest weakness.

Neji says nothing, merely waiting until his teammates leave. Then he and Hinata walk home in strangely comfortable silence.

* * *

Hinata is summoned back to the Main House for the first time that evening.

It is far worse than she expects.

She has to stand before a full gathering, almost: she is the only Branch House member present.

For what seems like an hour, the council discusses other business. Some of it has to do with Hanabi, and there is considerable excitement (or what passes for such among the Hyuuga) about announcing her as the official clan heiress as soon as possible.

Hinata notices that her father has his eyes closed the entire time, and she knows instinctively that even if they were open, they would not turn in her direction.

Hanabi, on the other hand, stares at Hinata the entire time. The expression on her face is completely unreadable, but Hinata suspects this cannot be a good thing.

The last order of business is what finally has anything to do with Hinata. It is ultimately what she expects: she is to be Hanabi's new servant.

What she does not expect is for Hanabi to quickly restrict her to only being a handmaiden in the baths. It essentially means they will bathe together, as they have done periodically over the years, although now, Hinata will be expected to be doing all the bathing for them both. It is one of the least humiliating posts Hinata can be assigned to, since no one but Hanabi will be there to witness it.

* * *

"Your bath is ready, H-Hanabi-sama."

"Don't ever call me that when we're alone," Hanabi mutters, brushing past her roughly.

Hinata blinks, but follows Hanabi into the bath without protest. "How should I-"

"You're supposed to bathe me, not talk."

The only reason Hinata isn't hurt by that is because she can see how uncomfortable her sister is with the situation, even if she is hiding it behind a mask of rudeness.

The tension eases somewhat as Hinata begins her task. Hanabi is suspiciously clean already, as if she had taken a bath only hours before, and somehow, this does not surprise Hinata at all. She never really thought Hanabi would want her here for cleaning purposes, anyway. But they go through the motions all the same.

Hinata finishes with Hanabi's back, and suddenly embraces her from behind without warning.

Hanabi tenses up, but says nothing and eventually relaxes.

"I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough, Hanabi-chan," Hinata whispers, and for the first time in years, she hears her sister cry.

* * *

On the way back to her home, Hinata almost runs into one of the elders. Upon recognizing her, his eyes flick up to where her seal is hidden, and a cruel smirk settles on his face. Hinata knows at once what is about to happen, just as she knows there is nothing she can do about it.

But before he can make the needed hand seal, a long, pink object bursts through the wall and smacks his hands, breaking all of his fingers with ease. The elder's howl of pain is cut off quickly as the object wraps around his head and slams him into the floor, leaving him out cold. It is only when the object withdraws that Hinata recognizes it as a tongue.

She quickly runs outside, only to find the monkey-masked ANBU from earlier atop an orange toad the size of a large person. Only now, the monkey mask is resting on his forehead, and brilliant blue eyes track her as she slowly approaches.

"When did you join ANBU, Naruto-kun?" she asks softly.

"When they put another damned seal on someone else who didn't deserve it," he replies easily. There is rage in his voice, but it does not reach his face, because he is looking at her. "And I'm not ANBU, not really. Baa-chan needed someone to tail you, and I wanted it to be me."

"Why?"

"Because I never seem to notice you until it's too late to save you. It won't happen again. I promise."

It is Hinata's turn to cry then, because she knows Naruto makes promises the same way that he makes friends, and he is either unable or unwilling to abandon either. She knows that he has effectively bound his life to hers, and it frightens her a little, to know that he might one day have to use Kyuubi's power against her own clan.

Hinata's fear fades as Naruto wraps his arms around her, and she raises her head, knowing that this is the perfect chance to tell him how she feels, how she has felt from the moment she first saw him.

But whatever Naruto sees in her eyes speaks louder and faster, because it is he that says the words first, and then there are no words at all.

**The End.**

* * *

Endnotes:

Once again, written largely late at night, not sure if it's as good as I think it is. But then, everything looks better when you're headbanging to "Ultimate Secrets," I guess...

Okay, this is probably way too optimistic, all things considered. But the very idea of Hinata getting sealed is so danged depressing, and I didn't feel like writing about that.

Neat as a fox mask would be, it'd also be obvious. And what kind of Hokage would Tsunade be if she let Naruto walk around with yet another target on his face? The monkey mask is something they should be able to agree on, I think.


	2. Don't Eat Hanabi!

Notes: Some people asked for more, so here it is. This time is from Naruto's POV, and it covers what you didn't see in the first part. Here's hoping I don't ruin it.

**Branches**

**A Naruto Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (xman0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

**Part 2: Don't Eat Hanabi!**

* * *

It is Ino who tells him, oddly enough.

Naruto realizes why only as he is rushing to the Hokage Tower, barely winning the battle to keep Kyuubi's chakra suppressed in his rage. Already he can feel the familiar fangs biting into his lip, and his blood tastes oddly sweet: never a good sign.

Ino has grown up, as have all of the rookies, but she is still unmistakably Ino. Even with her two days a week as a stand-in healer at the hospital, or her three days a week apprenticing under Ibiki (Naruto doubts anyone under jounin could stand much more than that), she still has her finger on the pulse of all of her friends' love lives, or lack thereof. Ino, more than anyone, would understand what Naruto means to Hinata, and in turn, what Hinata's being sealed would mean to Naruto.

It hurts, a little, that Sakura doesn't, or acts as if she doesn't, but so long as SOMEONE does, Naruto can go on believing there is at least some justice in the world.

Even if it rarely shows its face in Konoha.

* * *

Naruto bursts into the office, only to find Tsunade waiting on him. From the amount of empty sake bottles on her desk, she should have a good buzz going, but outwardly looks surprising sober (and rather disappointed by that fact, too).

"She's safe, and Neji is with her now."

The fox's chakra recedes, and Naruto feels guilty for the accusing rant he had perfected on the way over. The need to yell is gone in the face of Tsunade's guilt and obvious concern. It reminds him that, like the old man, this job is hell on the conscience.

And somehow, he still wants it for himself.

"Your friend Neji is very brave, Naruto. He put himself in a great deal of danger to keep me informed of the situation. Even if he does honor the clan with his performance on missions, I have no doubt they'd kill him if they knew what I know because of him."

Naruto says nothing, because he knows Neji is only like that now due to what happened between the two of them. Amazing, the things a good, solid butt-kicking can teach a person.

If only it had been so easy with Sasuke.

"What's going to happen to her?" The dullness of Naruto's voice startles even himself.

Tsunade sighs heavily. "Hopefully? Nothing. With any luck, they'll make her clean up after them and nothing more. We know they don't think she can fight well enough to protect anyone. It'll largely be up to her younger sister, and I don't think she hates Hinata. Not completely, from what I've seen."

Naruto can vaguely recall seeing Hinata out with a younger Hyuuga girl, but very rarely, and at no point had they seemed even remotely comfortable around each other, despite Hinata's best efforts. He didn't and couldn't understand that: who wouldn't love to have a big sister as gentle and loving as Hinata was? He would've killed to grow up with someone like that.

And he HAD grown up with someone like that, Naruto quickly realizes with a flinch. He'd just never realized it, or taken advantage of it. How stupid had he been back then?

"This sister. What's she like now?"

"Serious. A real brat when doesn't get her way. But she can't be all bad."

There was a time when Naruto might have thought the same of anyone related to Hinata, but he'd learned better, and quickly. "What makes you say that?"

"She always intended to be stronger than Hinata, but she never wanted to be heiress. Of course, she couldn't just say that: no one would believe her, and the Hyuuga wouldn't stand for it."

"Do you know where she usually trains?"

Something about the smile on Tsunade's face bothers him after he asks that. "Konohamaru does. He's her rival, or so he says. But before you rush off, I need a favor. Even though Hinata has the seal now, I have no intention of letting anyone activate it. But I can't be around her all of the time, or ask anyone who would be willing to without drawing suspicion. So can you think of anyone who-"

"When do I start?" Naruto asks.

Tsunade blinks, apparently surprised. "You? You can't do it."

"Why the hell not?!" he demands.

"For one thing, you'd have to pose as a member of ANBU."

"So?"

She sighs. "Naruto, don't take this the wrong way, but you're not exactly ANBU material."

He laughs in her face. "You're kidding, right? Is it, or is it not ANBU's job to handle threats to the village that no one else can handle?"

"Yes, but-"

"Who beat Gaara single-handedly?"

"You did, but that-"

"And who was kicking his butt before I got there?"

"No one, but-"

"So I think that qualifies as something nobody else could handle, right?"

"Yes, damn you, but-"

"Who brought you back to the village? Who got stabbed by Orochimaru for you? Who can call you 'baa-chan' to your face and get away with it?" Naruto is forced to duck as a sake bottle just misses his head. "Those all sound like things that are unique to me. Do I still need to play the 'Yondaime-screwed-up-my-life-to-save-this-ungrateful-village' card? Because you know I will, and that alone should make me ANBU Commander forever."

Tsunade glares at him. "It's not about being qualified, Naruto. We both know you are. But when was the last time you saw an ANBU, in uniform, pigging out on ramen or fist fighting with Kiba in the street?"

"First of all, I obviously wouldn't wear the uniform to meals, and second, you have NO idea how much fun it is to slug him. And I had him until Akamaru tried to eat me!"

"That's exactly what I'm talking about! You can't keep doing things like that if you're going to help Hinata!"

"She wouldn't care. She's Hinata."

"The whole idea is that the only way you'll be able to do this is if other people think you really are ANBU. I don't care if Hinata knows, but I'd never hear the end of it if the council finds out. So you can't act like... YOU, and pull this off, okay?! If you're going to do this, you have to be professional, got it?"

To her amazement, Naruto salutes and answers crisply, "Hai, Hokage-sama."

"Now you're just trying to creep me out," she mutters, shaking her head and tossing a mask at him.

Naruto catches it and frowns. "I'm not a fox?"

"Hmm, let's see. You vanish one day, and at the same time, a new fox-masked ANBU appears. Did you hear ANYTHING I just said?" Tsunade smacks the desk hard enough to leave a dent. "They can't know it's you, idiot!"

"But this is-"

"It was good enough for Sarutobi-sensei, and it's good enough for you."

Naruto fumbles the mask and nearly drops it. "You mean this was the old man's?!"

She rolls her eyes. "Of course not! But you're going to wear it for him either way, and you will not be a complete moron when you have it on. Do me a favor and tell the same lie to Konohamaru, though. Something tells me you'll need him to do the same thing one day."

It is only after Naruto leaves that Tsunade chuckles softly and downs the last of her sake. "I suppose I could've just admitted that I had him in mind for the job all along, but this way he won't get a big head about it."

* * *

It is terribly easy these days for Naruto to track down Konohamaru, even if he hasn't left his usual trail of property damage and complaining citizens. It isn't that he himself is destructive, but most people generally get a bad shock upon seeing an eight-foot tall monkey flying overhead. But there was no reasoning with Konohamaru about such things: his monkey companion, Inju, had been a gift from Enma himself upon the boy's graduation.

Naruto is in no position to scold Konohamaru: he was becoming more and more like Jiraiya in that he summoned certain toads for simple companionship, or when he was in no mood to walk through the village and feel the hateful stares on his back. He could certainly understand why Konohamaru might feel more at ease with Inju around. Naruto had come to think of Gamakichi and Gamatatsu as some of his closest friends, and rarely needed a good reason to summon either of them.

Ironically enough, when Naruto does find Konohamaru, he also finds Hanabi. The two are locked in a heated sparring match, or at least Naruto hopes it is a spar. Hanabi is releasing more and more killing intent by the second, but if Konohamaru feels it, he pays it no mind. Of course, there is good reason for this: Konohamaru is winning, or at least taking less hits and has less holes in his defense.

Naruto just watches for a few minutes, admiring Konohamaru's quickness, which he is partially responsible for. They spent months increasing the boy's speed by having him dodge Gama's tongue, which is lightning-quick even at its slowest. Hanabi is nowhere near that fast, and paying for it. She has some pretty nice bruises on her arms where she's been forced to block his punches. But Naruto can see she is a real scrapper, and there is no sign of quit in her. She is either too determined or too proud to stop.

The match finally ends when Hanabi simply loses her patience and lunges forward, sinking her teeth into Konohamaru's forearm. He is so startled that this allows Hanabi to drive her palm hard into his chin, although not before he buries his fist into her stomach one last time. They go flying apart, crashing to the ground in exhausted heaps.

Naruto barely resists the urge to clap. Instead, he dons his mask and decides to have a little fun, assuming Konohamaru is willing to play along for a bit.

Konohamaru is just sitting up when Naruto lands between he and Hanabi. Almost at once, a taller figure lands behind the young Sarutobi, and Naruto is not surprised to see Inju leaning over him protectively, sniffing warily. Inju recognizes Naruto's scent and relaxes. Konohamaru notices and eyes the masked figure before him curiously, but makes no move to rise.

Naruto turns his attention to Hanabi, who is finally sitting up. "Hanabi-sama," he says in a gravelly voice, immediately getting her attention. "I am to inform you that the Hyuuga council has marked your sister for death. She will shame the clan no more. Her execution will be carried out shortly."

Something flickers in Hanabi's eyes, and she quickly forms a hand seal.

Naruto tenses, expecting an attack, but nothing happens.

Hanabi's eyes widen in fear and shock as she stares at him. "It didn't work? Then you're not...?"

"From the Branch House? No. But I think the council will be interested to know how you reacted."

Whatever pain Hanabi still feels, she ignores it completely and leaps at Naruto, obviously intending to keep him from reporting back to the council.

She doesn't want Hinata to die, and that is all Naruto really needs to know.

To her credit, Hanabi is fast, and if Naruto was still summoning the old-fashioned way, she'd be fast enough to stop him. But such is his bond with the toads that blood is no longer needed: convenient seals on his wrists have the same effect, with a small (for Naruto, anyway) application of chakra. This time it is the right one, designated "Travel," and an instant later, Gamatatsu is beneath Naruto's feet. These days he is slightly larger than Gama when Naruto first met Jiraiya's preferred travel toad, and fairly imposing to anyone that has never seen him.

But in many ways, Gamatatsu is still the slow-witted, forever hungry little toad that Naruto first met, which he proves by opening his mouth wide and inhaling Hanabi headfirst, all the way to her waist. He cannot be blamed for this reaction, and in fact, Naruto was counting on it: many toads would do the same when faced with a speeding object, if only to bat it away with their quick tongues. Gamatatsu is different in that he attempts to swallow most things.

Hanabi kicks and screams fruitlessly until Gamatatsu decides he doesn't care for her taste, and promptly spits her out.

"Hey, no fair, Boss!" Gamatatsu complains. "That was the worst candy you've ever given me! It tasted like sweat and hair!"

Naruto gives the toad a brief pat on the head. "Sorry, Tatsu. I'll make it up to you at dinner, okay? But for future reference, Hinata is the only sweet Hyuuga, and you can't eat her, either."

Hanabi quickly figures out that Naruto is an imposter, and it doesn't take her long to connect Naruto's size to his ability to summon toads, as there are only two living shinobi that have signed that contract. "You! Why did you do that?! I thought...!"

"Exactly what I wanted you to think," Naruto replies. "I needed to know how you felt about Hinata. Now that I do, I know you won't try to get in my way."

She stares at him, growing more confused. "What are you talking about?"

"I won't allow Hinata to be hurt anymore. She deserves to be happy, for once."

A long silence settles over them, and then Hanabi breaks it with a grunt. "If you really want my sister to be happy, that's easily accomplished."

What she says next turns Naruto's world upside-down. But he really only has himself to blame.

* * *

"Hinata... loves me?" he whispers for what must be the hundreth time. "But... WHY? How?!"

The answer is obvious, though.

Hinata has always been blessed (or perhaps cursed, given her duties as kunoichi and heiress), with a large and loving heart. Of course she would fall in love with someone who no one else could ever love. But for the life of him, Naruto cannot think of a single time when Hinata might have even hinted at the idea of their becoming a couple. Certainly she had always been nice to him where others rarely were, but she was nice to everyone! She had never asked him out, never given any indication that she might want HIM to ask HER out, never even mentioned being asked out in general! How was he supposed to KNOW?

But what Naruto does recall is the many eye-rolls, head shakes, and frustrated sighs from his friends whenever he made some offhand comment about not understanding why Hinata acted a certain way around him. He had just assumed they were annoyed with him, as most of his friends were rather frequently. Had he really been expected to just KNOW that Hinata was in love with him from that? If it was that obvious, surely Kiba or Ino would've blurted it out years ago! Neither was known for keeping secrets, and the only way for Naruto to miss out if THEY knew was if absolutely everyone ELSE knew, and simply hadn't told HIM.

All things considered, that was not only possible, it was very likely. He was either the demon incarnate, or just Naruto, and neither one was kept informed of gossip. Not unless all of Ino's girlfriends were sick or away, and she just HAD to talk to someone, anyone, and Shikamaru and Chouji were hiding from her again. But those events almost never happened, and certainly not simultaneously.

It was still a little hard to accept, though. Had everyone just been willing to sit by and watch Hinata suffer needlessly? Then again, that, too, was an old trick for Konoha. Hinata had been suffering in one way or another since he'd first met her, usually at her so-called family's hands.

But even with all that he now knew, thanks to Hanabi, Naruto still had a big problem: he wasn't in love with Hinata. He liked her, sure, and cared about her as a friend, but that was pretty much it. His fruitless chasing after Sakura had left Naruto with the impression that maybe he was better off NOT actively searching for a girlfriend. Briefly, very briefly, he'd thought about asking the few girls he did consider friends. Tenten was hung up on Neji, Ino had just smirked and rolled her eyes, and, well, Naruto had never really approached Hinata, for some reason. Perhaps he'd only vaguely thought of her as a girl, since she'd always worn those bulky jackets and never talked much. She never really did anything to draw attention to herself, and even if she had, Naruto most likely would've glanced and then focused on Sakura again. He was nearly as bad as Sakura, in a way, but at least he had the excuse that he honestly had NO idea Hinata loved him. Hell, Sakura should've said something! She was the one that supposedly hated all the attention from Naruto, so why wouldn't she point out Hinata's feelings?

He knows better than to depend on Sakura for much, though, unless it's a good jab to the head or a sharp reprimand. Lately, she has less and less time for him, claiming she has patients or more to learn from Tsunade. Either could be true at any given moment, but Naruto knows that he is easily the strongest ninja of his generation, and he always manages to find some free time for friends that matter. That Sakura can't, or won't, speaks volumes.

And Naruto has finally reached a point in his life where he's ready to listen.

* * *

None of Gamabunta's children drink sake: they all chug it.

Naruto drinks sake merely because Gamakichi and Gamatatsu do, and it is an easy way to pass the time with them. Kyuubi takes care of any ill effects almost immediately, because the only thing worse than fighting while drunk is nearly getting killed while drunk, a lesson Naruto will not soon forget.

Currently, the trio is holed up in Naruto's apartment. Gamatatsu has passed out on the floor, while Gamakichi and Naruto take turns drawing on his heaving belly.

It is at this point that Naruto recalls something important: Gamakichi is easily one of the smarter toads that he is acquainted with, and even if he doesn't know the answer to something, his advice usually points Naruto in the right direction.

"Hey, Kichi. What do you do when a girl likes you, but you don't feel the same way?"

"Hinata asked you out?" Gamakichi asks at once.

Naruto throws his marker across the room in disbelief. "YOU knew?!"

"I had to. For months, I thought the Hyuuga were spying on you. Then I figured out it was just her following you around."

"Why didn't you say anything, then?!"

Gamakichi shrugs. "Why would I say anything? If you liked her back, you would've done something on your own. If you didn't, you probably wouldn't do anything. If you wanted my advice, I knew you'd ask for it. I guess I could've pointed it out, but she wasn't hurting anybody, and I figured she didn't want me to say anything, or she wouldn't have been so quiet about it in the first place."

"And how long has this been going on?"

"Long as I've known you."

It takes a great deal of effort for Naruto not to snatch Gamakichi's marker and throw that, too. Instead, he sighs loudly and runs a hand over his face. "Okay, let's go. Help me roll Tatsu over so that his snoring sounds like a guard dog."

"Where we going?" Gamakichi asks, grunting a bit as he and Naruto slowly shift Gamatatsu.

"I sent some clones to watch over Hinata earlier. No problems so far, but things always get worse at night around here. I'd rather be there myself."

"Why don't you love her?" Gamakichi adds unexpectedly.

"Don't know," Naruto admits. "Guess things would be easier if I did."

"Yeah. She's a nice girl. Cute, too."

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Naruto demands, immediately suspicious.

Gamakichi blinks. "No reason."

* * *

The next time Naruto enters his apartment, Gamatatsu is wide awake and bored.

"Hey, Boss! Got any can-"

"SHHH!!!"

Gamatatsu blinks, finally noticing the sleeping girl in Naruto's arms. She is a bit larger than the one he almost ate earlier, but other than that, they mostly look the same to him. "Why'd you bring her? Is she moving in?"

The look that Naruto shoots him is more than a little unfriendly.

"What'd I say?"

"Can we do this later, Tatsu? I've got a lot on my mind, and-"

The girl shifts in his arms, burying her face in his neck. "Naruto-kun," she murmurs happily.

Naruto turns a spectacular shade of red, and Gamatatsu decides that this night has suddenly gotten a lot more interesting.

"Hey, where's she going to sleep, Boss? Your bed isn't really big enough for two. Well, unless she sleeps on top of you, but why would she want to do that?"

"Why, indeed," Naruto sighs.

* * *

"This wasn't part of the plan. I just want to point that out again."

"Give it a rest, Kichi. Please."

They both pause to take a long glance at the girl sleeping in Naruto's bed, sigh, and shake their heads.

"Okay," Gamakichi says after a few minutes. "Explain to me again why you kissed her."

"She wanted me to!" Naruto snaps defensively.

"She's wanted that for years, no doubt. What was different this time?"

"Well, it was obvious. To me, I mean!" he quickly adds, noticing Gamakichi about to retort. "And I... I just... I know what it's like, to finally realize that someone you love with all your heart thinks less of you, or not at all. I didn't want Hinata to feel that way, ever."

"So you lied."

"For a good reason! What would you have done?!"

"Me? Well, for starters, I would've told her she was a cutie back when she first started following me, and asked her out then. So we wouldn't even be in the current mess, would we?"

"Shut up," Naruto grumbles.

"Hey, you asked."

"I know!"

Gamakichi allows Naruto a few minutes to calm down before bringing up another pressing issue. "Where are you going to sleep?"

"I didn't think that far ahead, obviously. And I don't think I can sleep right now. Too much on my mind. I have to figure out what I'm going to tell her tomorrow. She's going to be hurt no matter what I do, and that's what I didn't want!"

"Actually," Gamakichi says slowly, "there may be one thing you could do. And if it works, you might never have to tell her the truth."

"You know some super secret toad jutsu I can use on her?" Naruto asks eagerly.

Gamakichi blinks. "Sure, whatever. You spent most of today telling me what a swell girl she is, how you'd do anything to spare her from pain. The only problem is that you're not sweet on her, right?"

"Yeah, so?"

Gamakichi's tongue whips out and smacks Naruto in the face. "Then YOU'RE the only problem, idiot. Not only would she be good for you, she deserves to be happy with you. No one else would put up with you for this long, I can tell you that much. So if you don't love her, spend as much time as possible with her until you do. It can't be that hard. That way, what you told her won't be a lie, and she'll never have to know."

It's a stupid plan, and Naruto is about to say so when Hinata rolls over in bed. There is a dreamy, sugary smile on her face, completely unlike any other he has ever seen there. He knows it is because of him, and that knowledge breaks his heart, but it also makes his decision for him.

* * *

Hinata wakes up the following morning in Naruto's bed. There is a large, orange toad sitting on the floor nearby, wearing a simple blue vest and staring at her calmly. She immediately recognizes him as the same toad that was with Naruto last night. "Hello?" she offers hesitantly, assuming he can speak.

"Hey," he answers calmly, waving at her. "Sleep good?"

"Yes, thank you." Hinata doesn't mean to stare, but she can't help it. "Are you, um, normal-sized, for a toad?"

"Well, I haven't really hit my growth spurt yet."

Her eyes widen. "I see..."

"I can go away, if that would help. Only Gamatatsu, my brother, is in the next room, and he's even bigger, although not as good with conversation. And Naruto did ask us to watch the place while he was gone. I'm sure he was including you in that, since he doesn't usually bring people here."

"Oh. Well, you probably know this, but I'm Hyuuga Hinata."

"Gamakichi. Nice to meet you."

Hinata pauses for a moment, and something occurs to her. "Do you often have to... watch the place?"

"Yeah. Most of the visitors aren't welcome, if you get my drift, and the few that are know to identify themselves before they try to come in. Naruto couldn't really keep anything nice in here until he started leaving us behind. Oh, but don't worry, you're safe with us. Nobody's ever gotten past Gamatatsu, and if they did, they'd have to deal with me."

"You don't... seem very threatening, though."

"There's a lady present," he reminds her gently, "and I happen to be Naruto's personal battle toad. Gamatatsu's mostly for traveling and pigging out, but you'd be surprised what he can do in a pinch. Anyway, we wouldn't let anyone hurt you. Gamatatsu owes you for almost eating your sister, and nobody that's precious to Naruto gets hurt on my watch."

"...he almost ate Hanabi?!"

Gamakichi sighs. "How did I know you'd get stuck on that part? Okay, it was like this..."

* * *

Naruto is counting on Hinata remaining asleep until he gets back.

Instead, he finds her giggling on the couch, while Gamatatsu tells her embarrassing stories that seem to feature Naruto himself.

Well, at least she hasn't been bored all this time, he decides. It's a relatively small comfort, but it's the only positive he can think of in this situation.

"You know, I hear some summons are actually loyal to their summoner," Naruto says loudly.

"What?! I am SO loyal!" Gamatatsu shouts, whirling around to face him. "Nobody broke in or anything! And your girlfriend thinks I'm cute, so you're lucky she's still your girlfriend!"

Hinata bursts into another fit of giggles, and Naruto is sorely tempted to dismiss Gamatatsu, except he suspects that might ruin Hinata's good mood and leave them to deal with more pressing business that he really has no desire to get into just now. So he settles for distracting Gamatatsu with candy, and then leading Hinata back into his bedroom.

"Your friends are very nice, Naruto-kun," Hinata says before Naruto can get a word out.

He blinks. "Um, thanks. Listen, Hinata, about last night..."

She blushes prettily and lowers her gaze to the floor, which only makes Naruto feel more awkward. "I didn't mean to fall asleep on you like that. But I just felt so safe, and I was still a little tired from Hokage-sama's examination, so..."

"Oh, that's okay," Naruto says quickly. "I didn't mind that at all. It's just... um, why do you love me? Can you tell me?"

Hinata's face only goes redder. "Ah... that is... because you are everything I am not, everything I wish I could be..."

Naruto's face goes blank. "You want to have a demon sealed in you?" he asks in total disbelief.

She quickly shakes her head, before slowly reaching out to place a hand on his abdomen, where she knows the seal is. "You are so very strong, Naruto-kun. Each and every day, you save this village, and the entire world from destruction, simply by continuing to breathe."

He wants to tell her that it's the Yondaime Hokage's strength, not his own, that makes that possible. But from the adoring look in Hinata's eyes, Naruto knows she will never see him as anything less than a hero.

"If I were as strong as you," Hinata whispers, "my clan would not look down on me... and I would not have this seal..."

"I'm not so sure," Naruto disagrees. "I AM me, and I never heard any encouragement from anyone in your clan, except you and Neji. And as strong as Neji was, they still sealed him. I don't think any of us would've been safe, because that clan sucks at judging character."

Hinata is too startled to be offended, but she knows that he isn't including her in his harsh words. "Ah... w-well, that is-"

"You should stay here. With me," Naruto interrupts, unable to look at her as he says it. "That way Kichi and Tatsu can watch you when I'm not around, and you don't have to worry about anyone from your clan messing with your stuff. Maybe I can even convince Gamabunta to let you sign the Toad Contract, so you can have your own toad to hang out with. Of course, I'd have to teach you Kage Bunshin first, so we could get you to the point where you'd have enough chakra, but after that-" He stops after noticing that Hinata has turned white as a sheet, her mouth working in silence. For a horrifying moment, he thinks someone has activated her seal.

Suddenly she takes a deep breath, and the color comes rushing back to her face.

"Hinata?" Naruto asks uncertainly.

"I-I can't," she whispers sadly, shaking her head. "If my family found out I was staying here-"

"That isn't a problem," Naruto counters. "The seal can only be activated within a certain range, and besides, I've been using counter-seals on this place for years. Even if they could get close enough, there'd be enough interference where you'd probably only get an itchy forehead."

Hinata stares at him in shock. "H-How?"

"What? I'm not stupid," he mutters. "What did you guys think I was doing with Ero-sennin all this time? Peeking in bathhouses? I've been studying clan history and seal theory the whole time. I know things!"

Her face brightens. "You see? This is exactly what I meant, Naruto-kun! You're a hero!" She blushes and looks down again. "You're my hero..."

Although he has no idea why he does it, Naruto steps forward and hugs her tightly. Hinata offers no resistance, but when he starts to let go, she raises her head and kisses him, softly but eagerly. It is a huge shock, and Naruto almost shoves her away instinctively, unused to such intimate contact. But an amused chuckle in his head from Kyuubi makes him rethink that.

For years, the fox has told him that he will never find love, or if he does, that it will be cruelly ripped away before he has time to blink. It's fate, Kyuubi says, in a manner so reminiscent of the old Neji that Naruto is tempted to tell him what he can do with his fate crap.

But Naruto is determined to prove Kyuubi wrong, and beyond that, prove that he is worthy of love, of being loved, and loving in return. So for both the right and wrong reasons, he deepens the kiss.

**End of Part 2.**

* * *

Endnotes:

Something occurred to me while writing this. Perhaps Naruto IS somewhat aware of Hinata's feelings to start with, but mistakes them as something else entirely. Consider this: by the time Naruto first encounters Hinata, or indeed any of the other rookies, he is already set in his ways, and the villagers are set in theirs. By then, Naruto considers any interest in him beyond obvious hatred a scam, so even if someone were to look at him kindly, he would suspect treachery and either flee or refuse to fully trust the person. So instead of seeing Hinata as genuinely nice, he labels her as weird. Which, while somewhat true, is sadder than anything else, as Naruto effectively distances himself from the only person in his class that wanted to be his friend, simply because of the harsh treatment he's already gotten. And Hinata is far too shy to come forward and reassure him that her intentions are peaceful, so they waste ungodly amounts of time simply staring at each other from afar and never venturing forward. And to think, if Hinata really wanted Naruto to like her, all she really had to do was walk up, smile... and beat him into the ground while loudly proclaiming her love for her Sasuke. Hmm. Sounds like a plot bunny to me. A twisted one with evil Sharingan peepers, but a plot bunny none the less.


	3. Beware the Angry Blossom

**Branches**

**A Naruto Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (xman0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

**Part 3: Beware the Angry Blossom**

* * *

Tsunade had never been easily intimidated. Being Orochimaru's teammate for any length of time was guaranteed to either fix that in the long run, or ruin her shinobi career early on. Obviously, she and Jiraiya had persevered, and in the process had developed a certain immunity to powerful killing intent. There were only so many things out there worse than Orochimaru, after all.

So it was a small matter for Tsunade to sit calmly at her desk while the full Hyuuga council stood glaring on the other side of it. Frankly, she was amazed that half of the dusty old farts had seen fit to drag themselves out of their compound just to have a supposedly worthless Branch House Hyuuga returned to them.

"Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when we first become the biggest hypocrites alive," she thought to herself. Aloud, she said, "I can appreciate your concern, but I assure you that Hinata is in NO danger. From ANYONE." She let her gaze linger on each of them, and as she'd predicted, they knew she was blaming them, and they didn't care for it one bit.

"We are not here because we believe her to be in danger," Hiashi said calmly. "We are here because she has been kidnapped."

"No, she hasn't," Tsunade replied at once. "I've had confirmation that Hinata is perfectly happy where she is, and was not taken against her will. If anything, she ran away. It might have something to do with that shiny new seal on her forehead, but then I'm just guessing."

"Even the Hokage cannot interfere in clan matters," one of the Hyuuga elders spat.

"Then why are you even here?" Tsunade asked incredulously. "Since this is a clan matter, I have no jurisdiction, correct? So there's nothing I can do to help you, accept offer some free advice."

"And what would that be, Hokage-sama?" Hiashi asked. He still seemed calm, but he was also standing the closest, and Tsunade was fully expecting that he might lunge for one of her vital spots at any given moment. Assuming he could shrug off a punch powerful enough to reduce his brain to paste, he just might have succeeded.

"This entire situation could be easily explained, if you were willing to accept certain undesirable truths that most people in this village have been strongly resistant to. These include, but are not limited to, the legacy of the Yondaime Hokage."

Hiashi's eyes twitched. Tsunade knew he had known the Yondaime and Kushina personally, and was one of the few who had to know Naruto's true parentage, either by the way Naruto behaved and looked, or through examining the boy with the Byakugan. Whether Hiashi acknowledged it as the truth was another matter entirely.

"What could the Yondaime have to do with our current situation?" another elder demanded. "We only seek the return of what is rightfully ours!"

"I don't doubt that she's yours, no other clan bothers to brand their children in such an obvious way," Tsunade sighed, ignoring the hostile looks she drew. "What I doubt is that she wants to remain yours, and as Hinata is a ninja of this village in good standing, I have a responsibility to ensure that she is able to continue serving Konoha. If she can best do that from outside of your clan, then my hands are tied."

A furious elder opened his mouth to speak, but Hiashi cut him off. "What proof can you offer that Hinata is improving without our influence?"

Tsunade smirked nastily. "Well, you haven't been able to kill her through means of the seal, have you? Anyway, Hinata has been apprenticed to a very formidable sensei, and her ninjutsu is showing remarkable progress already."

The council froze, trading uneasy glances. Hyuuga, as a rule, were known only for the Byakugan and Gentle Fist taijutsu. To their knowledge, Hinata had never shown much promise in either category, and of course the clan had never investigated her capacity for non-traditional skills.

Hiashi frowned. "I take it you mean her new ability to produce Kage Bunshin?"

Tsunade knew for a fact that several of Hinata's clones, purposely sent towards the Hyuuga compound over the last day, had been mercilessly attacked. So far, the only proof was that the Hyuuga had meant to capture her, but they hadn't been at all gentle about it. "That is one aspect I was referring to, yes. Can you deny that this is amazing progress?"

"We do not think that this is the proper path for Hinata."

"With all due respect, Hiashi, that kind of thinking is the reason that no Hyuuga will ever be Hokage. I have yet to see a single Hyuuga learn anywhere near the required thousand jutsu, and it begs the question of what you people are really striving for."

"The Hyuuga way has always been quality over quantity. We may not know as many skills, but the skills we do have are thoroughly mastered and without equal."

"And based on Hinata's performance so far, would you say that the traditional Hyuuga approach is working for her?"

No one said a word.

"I think it's time you accepted that Hinata is not, nor will she ever be, a traditional Hyuuga. And don't tell me there's no such thing, or you wouldn't even have a Branch House in the first place. You still have a clan heiress, and Hinata is still willing to perform her assigned duties for Hanabi, just in a different setting."

Hiashi's eyes glinted with triumph. "And what setting might that be?"

"Uzumaki Naruto's apartment."

The uproar was expected, but Tsunade silenced it with a single, loud thump of her fist against the desk.

"It is easily one of the most fortified areas in the village. How else could it possibly remain standing, given its owner's reputation?"

It was no secret that Naruto's apartment had been vandalized repeatedly over the years. It was also no secret that, as of late, all attacks had been successfully repelled. Even if the Hyuuga were not initiating the attacks, they almost had to know some of the ones who were.

"You're saying that Hinata is under the demon's protection?" an elder asked.

Tsunade rolled her eyes. "What demon do YOU know that is willing to protect a girl like Hinata? In case you forgot, Kyuubi has no love for any Leaf-nin. This is one of those truths I was talking about earlier: Naruto is not the demon. If he was, Hinata and many others would be dead. If we're going to get anywhere, you must accept that Uzumaki Naruto and Kyuubi are two separate entities. Both existed independent of each other before the sealing, and the Yondaime Hokage's seal ensures that Kyuubi can never escape the boy's body. If Naruto really was the demon, why in the world would he have faithfully served this village as long as he has? And why wouldn't he have killed every single person that ever wronged him? Mind you, that's practically the entire civilian population, and many of the ninja as well. But I'm sure I don't have to tell any of you how Naruto has been treated here."

"Are you implying something, Hokage-sama?" Hiashi murmured, narrowing his eyes.

"I'm simply assuming that the great and powerful Byakugan has made you aware of the situation," Tsunade replied. "Now, if you're willing to listen, I believe I can offer a very simple explanation as to Hinata's recent change in behavior, and Naruto's as well."

Hiashi shared some glances with the elders, but no one disagreed outright. "We are listening."

"Let us pretend, just for a moment, that people prefer to avoid pain, don't like having seals forced upon them, and like to keep their free will. Let us pretend that Hinata is no exception. Suppose that after being sealed, Hinata no longer felt it safe to reside in a place were people are allowed to torture her through the seal. Suppose that Naruto, understanding what it means to be sealed against one's own will, offered her protection from anyone who might try to use the seal against Hinata. Suppose that the same people who applied the seal then rudely barged into my office and-"

"I believe," Hiashi interrupted coldly, "that we understand."

"No, I don't think you do," Tsunade responded. "I have authorized Naruto to respond to any threats to Hinata's health with lethal force." She couldn't help the smile that formed on her lips at the shocked reactions. "Oh, don't look so surprised. You've been calling him a demon for years, and now you finally get your wish. And all it cost you was a kunoichi that you had all but cast aside, anyway. I'd say you came out ahead."

After the council departed, Tsunade helped herself to a well-deserved round of sake. They'd already known it was Naruto: the toad summon and Hinata learning Kage Bunshin had told them that much. But the best part was that they wouldn't go complain to anyone else, because they'd be too embarrassed to admit that the "demon brat" got the best of the mighty Hyuuga Clan. Once again, the clan's famed pride was working against them.

* * *

Being a sensei was a new experience to Naruto, but like most challenges in his life, he overcame it quickly.

Hinata's first attempt at summoning was just as successful as Naruto's: she summoned nothing but tadpoles for the first hour. Instead of being embarrassed, she introduced herself to each one, and offered them candy to take home at Naruto's suggestion. Most were fairly puzzled by the experience, but at least a few seemed appreciative.

All things considered, Naruto had been pretty hard on her, but it was necessary. Roughly every technique Hinata knew, the Hyuuga knew better and had a counter for. It only made sense to arm her with jutsu they either didn't know, or at least wouldn't expect Hinata to know.

Kage Bunshin had been first, although Naruto had forbidden her from producing more than two at a time until he felt she was ready. After that, they'd worked on improving both chakra control and capacity at the same time, by having Hinata (and her clones) attempt to ride Gama for three hours. It had been a painful three hours, but at the end, Hinata had certainly learned how NOT to ride a bucking toad three times over.

Hinata had been so exhausted and bruised that he'd treated her (and a henged "Naruko" clone, for protection) to a soak at the local bathhouse. It was only when Naruto dismissed the clone that he realized how bad an idea that was: the memory of soaking with a near-naked Hinata kept him up all night. Although since he was sleeping on his couch, anyway, Naruto wasn't all that comfortable to begin with.

The stupid part was that Hinata had even offered to give his bed back. But Naruto had refused, claiming she'd need the rest (which she did). Neither of them suggested the possibility of them sharing the bed, although everyone (including Gamakichi and Gamatatsu) was thinking it. Naruto figured things would stay that way until he finally caved in and bought another bed. But Gamakichi poked a hole in that plan.

"Don't buy a bed," he said the moment Naruto suggested the idea. "It'd be a waste of money."

"What? Why?" Naruto had asked.

"How long do you think Hinata will be able to take your bed before she starts to feel guilty about it? She'll offer to compromise pretty soon."

Naruto had paled at the idea. "But I don't want her to compromise."

Gamakichi rolled his eyes. "Yes, you do. You want to get closer to her, and this is the perfect way."

"But I can't SLEEP with her, Kichi!"

"You'll do it or I'll have Tatsu sit on you, stupid."

Much to Naruto's horror, Gamakichi was proven right after only three nights. On the third night, he looked up to find Hinata standing over the couch, shuffling her feet nervously.

"Um, Naruto-kun," she murmured, her face bright red, "maybe we could share the bed..."

Naruto nodded quickly. "So you take it tonight, and-"

"That's not really what I meant," Hinata interrupted, staring at the floor.

"But... are you sure you're okay with that?"

"I-I trust you, Naruto-kun," she whispered, slowly raising her eyes to his. "You've already been so kind to me. I can't continue to take your bed, knowing you're trying to sleep out here."

Naruto was still trying to come up with an excuse not to join her in the bedroom when there was a sharp jerk on his ankle. An instant later, he was in a heap on the floor, glaring up at Gamatatsu, who was now taking up the entire couch with his enormous bulk, snoring quite loudly and falsely.

Hinata giggled softly as she helped Naruto up. "I think you'll be more comfortable sharing with me," she said.

Naruto just scowled, and did not miss the grateful pat she gave Gamatatsu's head as he reluctantly followed her into the bedroom. He started to make an arguement for his sleeping on the floor, but he knew Hinata would never allow it.

"Have you never shared a bed before, Naruto-kun?" Hinata guessed.

He shook his head and frowned. "You have?"

She nodded. "Once, on a mission, with Ino-chan, and twice with Tenten-chan. And neither of them slept on top of the sheets." From the way he blushed, it was obvious what he'd been thinking.

"But they were girls. And no guys I know ever shared a bed with each other. Kiba practically slept on the other side of the room the one time we got stuck together on a mission."

"And do you think he would've done that if Naruko-chan were on the mission instead?" Hinata asked.

Naruto paled, knowing exactly what Kiba would've done in that situation. "But I'd never do that to you!" Noticing the way Hinata's face fell, he quickly backpedaled. "Without your permission, I mean!" Then her face turned bright red. "I mean, um, crap!" Now she was giggling again. "It's not funny!"

"I'm sorry, Naruto-kun, but it really is, a little," she gasped, trying to keep a straight face.

He grumbled and looked away, starting to wonder how many clones it would take to roll Gamatatsu off of the couch.

Suddenly, Hinata reached out and grasped his hand. "Naruto-kun, please understand," she murmured shyly. "I am attracted to you, and the thought of us being so close makes me nervous, too. But I would prefer that we be uncomfortable together, instead of just you being uncomfortable."

Naruto just stared at her. "You never would've said something like that to me years ago," he noted.

She nodded, blushing a little. "I'm more comfortable around you now," Hinata said simply. "Comfortable enough to share a bed with you." She started inching towards the bed, tugging lightly on his hand to get him to follow.

The moment he was horizontal, Naruto tried to think of the most boring things possible: how long it took Neji to brush his hair everyday, if Jiraiya's fingers had gotten so huge by doing... certain activities over and over again, if Akamaru ever got tired of Kiba smelling like, well, Kiba.

And then Hinata snuggled up against him, resting her head on his shoulder and draping her arm over his chest. "Good night, Naruto-kun," she whispered.

Naruto let out a squeak that was probably meant to return the sentiment. He could've sworn he heard choked laughter that sounded suspiciously like Gamakichi's, but there was no sign of the toad when he looked around.

* * *

In the following days, Naruto found himself experiencing an undeniable need to distance himself from Hinata, at least some of the time. He assumed it was due to the new sleeping arrangements. Fortunately, this was accomplished in a way that didn't seem to hurt Hinata's feelings, utilizing one of Naruto's first and most reliable perverted ninjutsu: the Naruko clone. It was startling how fast Hinata had bonded with "Naruko-chan," even claiming to miss her whenever Naruto dismissed her. Naruto realized that he always felt much more fun-loving and cheerful in that form, but it was apparently even true with the clones.

At first, Naruto only used Naruko clones to accompany Hinata while he was otherwise occupied, or just needed a break. But once he saw how well they got along, he started producing one clone a day, regardless of how much time he spent with Hinata.

Because Naruto had always used Naruko for distraction purposes, he'd never really taken much time to watch her when she was left on her own. He'd assumed she'd behave like any of his normal clones.

But as it turned out, Naruko clones were almost entirely different from Naruto clones. Over the years, Naruto had mellowed quite a bit, even becoming somewhat jaded at times. Naruko, on the other hand, was more affectionate than Naruto had ever been, at least when he wasn't trying to seduce a pervert while henged as her, anyway. Part of this could possibly be blamed on Naruko's original purpose, which was to seduce as a distraction. Still, it quickly became obvious why Hinata enjoyed Naruko's company.

Naruto had always thought Naruko's charms would have little or no impact on women. In the cases where they did work, they usually backfired: many older women had found Naruko so cute that they'd literally smothered or crushed her with overly enthusiastic hugs. But Hinata had never been that type of person, possibly because she'd received so little affection growing up. And she didn't seem to mind at all that Naruko hugged her at every available opportunity. In fact, she rather enjoyed it. Naruto couldn't really blame her, since he still felt like he needed a good reason for hugging someone, and Hinata especially. But Naruko would hug her for even the tiniest things, such as picking up litter in the street or remembering to stop by the market.

Even the villagers responded differently to Naruko. Most of them still hadn't figured out who or what she was, and Naruto made sure to change her clothes every so often so that no one ever connected her to him. But no matter what he dressed her in, it was virtually impossible for a mere civilian to refuse Naruko anything. And if Naruko could bring home free goods from the same places that had once refused to serve Naruto at all, well, that was just poetic justice. Ironically, the only place Naruko couldn't go to was Ichiraku Ramen, because Ayame would insist on seeing Naruto in person, and then poke Naruko extra hard with chopsticks so that the message definitely sunk in. It was annoying, but one of the many endearing quirks that had kept Naruto coming back for most of his life.

* * *

Sakura was easily one of the busiest kunoichi in Konoha. As one of the top medic-nin in the village, when she wasn't busy saving lives, she was doing her rounds to make sure others were doing so correctly. When she wasn't doing that, she could usually be found assisting Tsunade or Shizune in some capacity. And on the rare occasions when she wasn't doing any of the above, she could almost always be found alongside Ino.

Having repaired their friendship some time ago, Ino now maintained it with a determination that bordered on annoying. She would drop in on Sakura unexpectedly at the worst possible times, like during major surgery. Fortunately, Ino had gotten over her distaste for blood at some point during her training with Ibiki (Sakura thought it better not to ask for details), and was now capable of assisting in operations that weren't too complex. It actually gave Ino a reason to follow Sakura around the hospital (other than simply trying to bug her, anyway), and though she would never admit it, Sakura truly appreciated all the effort that Ino put into their relationship.

But Ino was not content with only seeing Sakura in a working environment, and made a point of dragging her out for a little relaxation time twice a month (and almost always with Tsunade's blessing; Sakura was a workaholic of the worst kind). During these outings, Sakura was strictly forbidden to mention work: the last time she had, she'd woken up in a hotel room, naked, handcuffed to a similarly naked Mitarashi Anko, with a note from Ino that read, "Took your body for a little walk. Have fun trying to figure out where we've been!" Sakura never discovered all the events of that night, but she'd quickly grown tired of Anko leaving love notes pinned to poisoned ANBU trainees.

So if nothing else, Ino was serious about them remaining friends this time, even if she had an odd, annoying way of doing so. But Sakura had grown to realize that she couldn't afford to lose friends anymore, and certainly not over petty things.

She'd already lost Sasuke completely, and was well on her way to losing Naruto as well. It really made no sense at all. Naruto had once been the kind of person that would send her flowers for no reason other than to say he was thinking of her. Sakura had been actively rejecting him since they were kids. But suddenly, Naruto was taking the rejection seriously, or he'd just found another way to occupy his time. She hadn't heard from Naruto in weeks (although she hadn't tried to contact him for much longer).

Ever since he'd returned from training with Jiraiya, Naruto had been more mature and less willing to put up with the same treatment he'd been getting for years, from everyone. Sometimes his so-called friends didn't see him for several days at a time. Even Hinata, who had damn near turned stalking Naruto into a profession, admitted to having trouble finding him. Only lately was Sakura starting to realize the truth: Naruto didn't want to be found. He didn't want to spend time with them, didn't want to be seen as 'just Naruto' anymore, didn't want to be treated like trash for one more day.

Maybe that was why it came as such a shock, when Ino spotted Naruto and Hinata eating side by side at Ichiraku Ramen. On top of that, Hinata looked comfortable, and wasn't blushing at all.

"I don't believe it!" Ino whispered to Sakura. "They're finally on a date!"

For no reason that she could explain, Sakura took offense to that statement. She didn't like the idea of Naruto and Hinata being an eventuality, something that was always meant to happen. "You're wrong, Ino. No way are those two on a date. Even Naruto isn't simple enough to take a girl out for ramen on a date."

"But Hinata IS the only girl that would let him get away with it," Ino replied with a smirk.

Scowling, Sakura quickly approached the ramen stand, perhaps stepping (or stomping, as Ino would later claim) more forcefully than was needed.

She was still a few feet away when Naruto's head raised slightly, and Sakura knew that he had sensed her. But instead of turning around or saying anything, he went right back to eating his ramen.

Sakura had never really taken being ignored well, despite the fact that she'd done it to Naruto so much. Although maybe it was finally being ignored by Naruto that stung so much. "HEY!"

Hinata looked up at that point, and there was a flash of disappointment in her features as she spotted Sakura, but it quickly faded behind a polite mask. "Oh. Hello, Sakura-san."

"Hinata-san," Sakura returned awkwardly. Out of the Rookie Nine, Hinata was the only one she'd never had a rapport with. She'd made the mistake of trying to call her "Hinata-chan" once and only once. Hinata hadn't exactly been rude at the time, but she'd made it clear that they were nowhere near close enough for that to be acceptable.

And Naruto STILL hadn't acknowledged her, Sakura realized as she began to boil.

"Hey, Hinata-chan!" Ino said loudly, walking up and wrapping a friendly but somewhat constricting arm around Hinata's neck.

Hinata even winced slightly, but still managed a smile and murmured, "Hello, Ino-chan."

Everyone turned their attention to Naruto at that point, as he'd just finished his bowl. He calmly laid down enough money on the counter to cover the bill and a generous tip, and then slowly stood up. "How's that seal I gave you last week working out, Ino?" he asked without turning around.

Ino looked a little startled as Sakura shot her a questioning glare, but recovered quickly. "Oh, just great, Naruto! I never thought that instant sunlight would be so useful!"

"Most people don't," Naruto replied. "Let me know if you need more for the shop."

"Actually, Ibiki-sensei mentioned he might have... other uses for them, if you could intensify the sunlight a bit."

Naruto let out a dark chuckle. "I know just what he has in mind. Tell him I'll drop by in a few days with some samples." He paused and turned his head slightly. "Hinata, we should get back to your training. I think you're close to mastering that last technique."

"Of course, Naruto-kun," Hinata said quickly, rising to leave as well. "Um, Ino-chan, Sakura-san, we really should be-"

"So you're ignoring me now, is that it, Naruto?" Sakura demanded, stepping into his way.

"Just returning the favor," Naruto replied coolly. "You made no attempt to stay in contact with me, and the message finally sunk in. I thought you'd be happy to be rid of me."

"I've just been really busy!"

"So have I. But you make time for Ino... or allow her to force you into making time, which is just sad when you think about it."

"That's different!" Sakura protested. "Ino is my first and oldest friend-"

"HEY!" Ino cried, pouting mulishly when Sakura elbowed her into silence.

"Just like you and Sasuke were mine," Naruto returned coldly. "The least you could've done was try to kill me a few times. I would've gotten the message, and then I could've given up all of Team 7 as a lost cause."

Sakura glared at him. "Sasuke isn't a lost cause! And you promised me that-"

"Then consider that promise broken," Naruto interrupted. "I can think of a whole list of ways I'd prefer to die than chasing after someone who doesn't need saving. And it only took a third Chidori to the chest to make me accept it. I hope he's kinder about it when you find him, but somehow I doubt that'll be the case. So when he does kill you, Sakura, and he will, try not to blame him. He got a bad hand in life, just like I did. The only difference is I'm only taking out my frustration on people who deserve it. Besides, some promises are more important."

Sakura glared at him. "How is going out on dates with Hinata more important than getting Sasuke back? Some Hokage you're shaping up to be!"

"So according to the wise and talented Sakura, a Hokage should spend all of his time outside of his village, chasing a traitor, instead of staying in the village to oversee the training of a promising kunoichi. Call me crazy, but I think Konoha might have been completely destroyed several times over if the Hokage was never anywhere near it. Do you even have a point?"

"My point is that there are a million other things you could and should be doing, other than showing Hinata a good time!"

Naruto snorted. "And why wouldn't I? At least Hinata makes time for me, listens to what I have to say, and has never hit me outside of training."

Sakura just stared at him for a moment. "So you hate me now, Naruto?"

He shook his head. "I wish it was that easy, but I can't. But I'll never waste my time being in love with you again, either."

Sakura's mouth dropped open in shock, and she could think of no response as Naruto quickly walked away, followed by Hinata. Naruto had told her he'd loved her in the past, several times, in nearly every way there was to say such a thing. And Sakura had always heard him, but she'd never really listened until now. She'd just accepted the idea that Naruto would always be in love with her. Now that he apparently wasn't any longer, she had no idea how to react.

Ino sighed and shook her head. "Sakura, tell me you're not still in love with Sasuke."

"What's it to you, Ino-pig?" Sakura asked defensively.

"I thought you were supposed to be smart? Haven't you figured out yet that Sasuke has no interest in coming back or keeping his former friends alive?" She held up a hand as Sakura started to answer. "Save it. Just hear me out, okay? Every one of our friends that have gone after Sasuke almost died. That's all it took to wake me up to what Naruto's finally realized. Just promise me you won't get yourself killed over Sasuke. We live in a world where it's ridiculously easy to die, but that doesn't mean you should die over something that isn't worth it. No matter how much he's worth to you, Sakura, he isn't worth your life."

* * *

Naruto kept walking until he was certain that Sakura hadn't tried to follow them.

"Um, Naruto-kun, weren't you kind of... mean to Sakura-san?" Hinata murmured once she caught up.

He could tell that she was conflicted, and was glad to see that she didn't think Sakura hadn't deserved at least some of what he'd said. But that did little to cheep him up. "Listen, Hinata. I probably won't be a very good training partner until I manage to cool down, and that's going to take a few hours, at least. Would you mind if Naruko handled your training for today?"

Hinata blinked. "No, that's fine. But are you sure-"

With a burst of smoke, Naruko appeared, bouncing on her toes as she glomped onto Hinata and rubbed their cheeks together. "Heeey, Hinata-chan! Good to see you!"

"H-Hello, Naruko-chan," Hinata laughed weakly.

Naruto cleared his throat loudly to get their attention. "Hinata is still working on summoning. I figure you can teach her how to get the chakra proportions right, being something of a summon yourself."

Naruko beamed and saluted. "No problem, Naru-kun!"

Naruto frowned before turning and walking away.

"Okay!" Naruko chirped, clapping her hands and turning to face Hinata. "First, we need to find a wide, open space, just in case you mess up and summon something huge!"

Hinata gaped at her. "But how likely is that? I've only summoned tadpoles so far..."

"Always be prepared for the worst, Hinata-chan! Now, follow me!" She grabbed Hinata's hand and dragged her away, humming happily.

* * *

Naruto walked with no destination in mind, barely paying attention to his surroundings. He only stopped when someone called out to him.

"Hey, Naruto. Come to watch the clouds with us?"

He blinked and looked down.

Shikamaru and Chouji were stretched out on the grass before him. Chouji was sleeping with his mouth open, but oddly enough, wasn't snoring.

"Guess I did," Naruto answered, sitting down next to Shikamaru.

"Let me guess. Women?"

Naruto winced.

"Tch. Troublesome."

"You can say that again."

"I have no doubt that I will. So is it Sakura or Hinata?"

Naruto frowned. "What makes you think it's one of them?"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "The only other girls you know are Tenten, Temari, and Ino. Tenten's stable enough were she doesn't regularly flip out like every other girl we know, or at least not as often. Temari's in Suna. And if Ino had a problem with you, I'm the first one she would've complained to."

Scowling, Naruto muttered, "It's Sakura. She's mad that she saw me with Hinata."

"Huh. Well, that's easily fixed."

"If you're going to tell me not to hang out with Hinata-"

"Actually, I was going to tell you to avoid Sakura. More than you normally do."

Naruto blinked. "What?"

"When is the last time anything Sakura did had a positive influence on your life, Naruto? Personally, I don't have time for people who do nothing but cause me problems. Even my mother has some good points, and I can't stand her. I know there's a certain attachment, with Sakura being your teammate, but if she isn't acting like one, maybe she shouldn't be one."

Naruto said nothing, but was carefully considering everything Shikamaru had said. Now that he was responsible for protecting Hinata from her clan, he really didn't need any further headaches. And if Sakura couldn't understand that without his help, Hinata could be killed or worse, then she wasn't much of a friend to either one of them.

* * *

"How much chakra is 'just a bit more,' Naruko-chan?"

Naruko sighed and pouted. "I don't know how else to show you, unless..." Her eyes widened. "Oh, I know! Watch this!"

Hinata watched uncertainly as Naruko created a clone of herself, and then henged it to look like a small, ridiculously adorable fox kit.

"There, see?" Naruko asked, picking up the little fox and cuddling it in her arms. "Try to imagine that this little guy is made of chakra. Well, he IS, but try to imagine how much chakra he's made of, and use that much when you try to summon."

Hinata nodded slowly and took a deep breath. She told herself repeatedly that she wanted to summon a toad roughly the same size of the fox. She knew for certain that there had to be some, now that she'd seen both Gamatatsu and the tadpoles, and there was no way that the latter became the former overnight. After biting her thumb to draw blood, Hinata's fingers flew through the required hand seals, and she slapped her hand against the ground. There was an odd tug on her chakra, almost as if it were forcefully being drawn out, but it only lasted an instant. Smoke burst from the ground as Hinata drew her hand back, and something landed on her shoulder.

"Hello there!"

She blinked and turned her head to see a pale yellow toad sitting on her shoulder. It was a bit smaller than the fox, wearing what looked like a necklace made chiefly out of seaweed, and had a distinctly female voice, but Hinata was just happy that it definitely wasn't another tadpole. "Hello. I hope I didn't disturb you."

"Disturb me? Oh, no! And it's me who should be apologizing. You see, I sort of redirected your summoning hail. It's just that there hasn't been a female summoner in so long, and I didn't want to miss out. You don't mind, do you?"

"No, of course not. You're the first toad I was able to summon."

"In that case, I'm being rude! My name is Gekiyaku, it's nice to meet you! Feel free to call me Geki-chan, all my relatives do. And I already know your name, everyone's been talking about you! Especially the little ones, they don't usually get candy so easily."

Hinata blushed. "I felt bad, since some of them seemed so startled."

"Oh, don't worry about it, dear! I never said it wasn't a good thing. In fact, I suspect if you ever did need a tadpole, for anything, you'd have a whole host of volunteers waiting. Now, since I am here, is there anything you need help with?"

Hinata glanced over at Naruko, who had gotten distracted and was now petting the fox eagerly. "Um, could you possibly tell me how I could summon you again, or maybe just a toad of your size? That's the part I was having trouble with."

Gekiyaku tilted her head slightly. "Well, if you wanted, we could adjust your contract so that I became your personal summon. Then you'd always summon me, unless you specifically wanted someone else. Since you're a new recruit, I'll have to clear it with my uncle, but he likes your friend Naruto, so I'm sure it won't be a problem."

"Is your uncle related to Gamakichi?"

"Yup! He's Gamakichi's father."

Hinata gaped. Gamakichi had told her who his father was, when trying to convince her that he was a formidable fighter. "You mean you're Gamabunta's niece?"

"Yup! I know I don't look much like him, and I'm smaller than my cousins, but we are related."

"Having a personal summon does sound convenient, but it also sounds like quite a commitment, and we just met..."

Gekiyaku shrugged. "So I'll stick around a little while you go about your day, and we can get to know each other. If we decide not to go through with it, hopefully by then I'll have someone in mind who'll be more compatible for you. Sound fair?"

Hinata nodded, smiling hesitantly. Already she was starting to like Gekiyaku, and wondered if this was what it felt like to have a constant companion to talk to. The closest she'd gotten was Akamaru, and most animals were forbidden in the Hyuuga compound.

"Hey, um, is your friend okay?" Gekiyaku asked. "I think she might need medical attention."

Hinata turned to see Naruko squealing in supposed fear as the fox chased her around the field. "Sometimes I wonder, Geki-chan..."

* * *

Hanabi suspected it was a huge mistake, but she wanted to see where Hinata was supposedly living now, and to be certain that her sister was being treated fairly by Naruto. She'd heard many things about him over the years, most of which turned out to be completely false.

Naruto was, in her opinion, something of an idiot savant. About ninety percent of the time, he was nothing more than an idiot. But when in battle, few were able to stand against his power, and it was that which Hanabi secretly feared and respected. Hinata may have been clueless about most things, but she certainly had amazing taste in men.

Naruto's apartment was easy to find: most civilians knew where it was, if only because they'd tried to vandalize it on various occasions. Hanabi made several mental notes to have those very people punished at a later date. She wasn't defending Naruto, but now that those same acts could be targeting Hinata, she wasn't taking any chances.

Naruto was the only one living in his apartment building. Everyone else had gradually moved out over the years. Either they hated him that much, or Naruto had scared the other residents off somehow. She wouldn't have put it past him, but she couldn't really blame him, either.

Hanabi didn't even need directions once she was inside the building: all the graffiti relating to Naruto was limited to his floor, and he'd never bothered to clean it up, or just got tired of doing so. It served as a discouraging but useful map, at least. Once she found his door, though, she hesitated. Knocking was the polite thing to do, but by now Naruto had installed various defenses. Having never visited before, she knew of no safe way to be allowed entry.

A quick scan with her Byakugan revealed that the door was absolutely covered in invisible seals. Hanabi only recognized two or three, and since she did not feel like being burned or electrocuted, knew that knocking was not a good idea... at least, not until she noticed that a single spot near the top right of the door was labeled in the same hidden ink as "doorbell." Feeling rather silly, Hanabi tapped it gently, and jumped as what sounded like a gong crash echoed in the apartment.

She'd barely caught her breath when something wrapped around her waist from behind and yanked her backwards. Hanabi screamed as she was pulled through the wall and slammed into a couch, where three reddish toads the size of large dogs immediately pinned her with their bodies.

Hanabi winced and stared hard at where she'd entered the room, amazed to find that it had all been an elaborate genjutsu. Naruto's door was actually on the opposite side of the hall, giving him plenty of opportunities to decide what to do with intruders like herself.

"Oh, it's you again," said a familiar voice, and Hanabi looked up to find the same yellow toad that had nearly eaten her peering down at her. "Let her up, guys. She's okay."

The three red toads instantly vanished in puffs of smoke, and Hanabi quickly jumped up, glaring at the remaining toad.

"You don't remember me? Gamatatsu? The one that almost ate-"

"I know who you are," she growled.

"Oh. So that's why you're still mad." He blinked. "Should you be here? Naruto wasn't expecting anyone."

"I wanted to see where my sister has been living."

Gamatatsu shrugged. "Well, go ahead. I'll be here if you have any questions."

Hanabi stared at him in disbelief. "You're going to let me look around? Just like that?"

"Hey, Naruto said I can't eat you. And you don't taste so good, anyway. Plus, Hinata got mad when she found out. So I guess you're okay for now, but I'll ask Gamakichi when he gets back."

Hanabi wasn't so sure she wanted to wait around for that. "What if I bring you candy? Would you keep the fact that I was here to yourself?"

"Mmm... only if it was really good candy. And only because you're Hinata's sister." He paused and narrowed his eyes at her. "You're not trying to trick me, are you? You don't seem like someone who knows much about candy..."

"I am heiress of the Hyuuga Clan. I do not give my word lightly."

"Oh, okay. But if you're lying, you should know there's no rule the prevents me from sitting on you."

Hanabi shuddered at the very thought and quickly darted out of the door. With any luck, she could buy an armful of candy and double back before this Gamakichi or anyone else showed up.

* * *

"Do you know why your original team fell apart, Sakura? It's because no one was there to keep you grounded."

Sakura stared at the Hokage, confusion written all over her face. "What do you mean, Tsunade-sama? Kakashi-sensei was-"

"The least grounded jounin that I know of," Tsunade interrupted. "He's always late, reading porn, or brooding. His only saving graces are that he doesn't whine, and that he's an excellent ninja despite all of that. Now, in most cases, if the teacher couldn't keep the team grounded, I would expect the kunoichi to do it. But you failed there as well. In fact, you only made things worse by praising Sasuke and ignoring Naruto. Mind you, I don't think the Uchiha cared one way or another what you thought of him, but that doesn't really matter. What does matter is that by mistreating Naruto, you made him doubt himself. He could be twice the ninja he is now, if only he'd had simple encouragement, like every other person in this village that takes it for granted, because they get it all the time. But I don't blame you, Sakura. You were young, and you didn't know any better. Besides, you were all expected to do such impossible things."

"All of us?"

"Sasuke thought he could just walk up to and kill one of the most powerful ninja alive. Naruto was forced to contain the greatest demon known to mankind. And you were expected to help keep them in line. It's no wonder you made the wrong choice. I did the same thing at your age."

Sakura was starting to feel more than a little agitated. "So if I had just praised Naruto and ignored Sasuke, things would've worked out perfectly?"

"Yes, most likely," Tsunade sighed. "By coddling Sasuke, we groomed him to think that the rules didn't apply to him, and reinforced that delusion by not allowing them to apply to him. We made him think he was the best that could do no wrong, and then had the nerve to act surprised when he broke the most basic rule: don't betray the village. Did it ever occur to you, Sakura, that you and most others treated Sasuke exactly the way Itachi had been treated, up until he betrayed the village? We made him Konoha's golden boy, and one day, he decided he needed more. But if just one person, other than Naruto, had treated Sasuke like he wasn't so special, things would be different. And since he was most exposed to you three, and Kakashi certainly wasn't going to be bothered, it should've been you. If you had given just a portion of those positive feelings to Naruto, you have no idea what he might be capable of today."

"How was I supposed to know?"

"You weren't. But some of this is just common sense, Sakura. Naruto would've died for you, and nearly did on many occasions, and still did everything he could think of to please you. I'm sure Sasuke must have saved you, too, but in addition to that, did he ever do anything that might suggest that he genuinely welcomed your feelings?"

"That's not a fair question!"

"Why? Because the idea that you and Naruto devoted your lives to someone who couldn't care less for either of you is too hard to accept? There are harder things, Sakura. Suppose you could've prevented Orochimaru from becoming a monster, while he was still a boy. I missed that chance. Now that Sasuke has gone to him for power, what kind of monster will he turn out to be? You should hope that you never see him again. Your life would be better for it."

Sakura was still trying to think of a response when, in a whirl of leaves, Naruto appeared beside her.

"This had better be good," Tsunade snapped, clearly indicating that she was already in a foul mood.

"It is, for one of us. I'm formally requesting to be assigned to another team."

Sakura gaped at him in shock, but Tsunade just frowned.

"And why should I allow that?"

"Because the only other ways someone like me can take on an apprentice are to become a jounin or a Sannin, and I don't have the time to attempt either one."

Tsunade smirked. "Relax, Naruto. I can see to it that you get your apprentice without leaving Team 7."

Naruto frowned at her. "No. I want to leave Team 7."

"Because of Sakura?" Tsunade asked in surprise.

"Because of everyone that was ever on it."

**End of Part 3.**

* * *

Endnotes:

Gekiyaku: powerful medicine

It's probably possible to take an apprentice before becoming a jounin. But keep in mind that this in Naruto, only so many people (the Council included) would trust him with an impressionable mind.

There actually is a reason for Naruko's involvement, more on that later.

Naruto supposedly sucks at genjutsu, so rest assured he didn't come up with the one on his door. I hear some toads are good at it, though…


	4. Roots of a Great Tree

Notes: Going to attempt to narrow down a time period in which all this occurs now. Definitely at some point after Naruto and Sakura befriend Sai, and Jiraiya is still alive. Which probably doesn't help all that much.

Warning: Multiple, undeserving character deaths ahead.

**Branches**

**A Naruto Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (xman0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

**Part 4: Roots of a Great Tree**

* * *

Tsunade had not come right out and said that Naruto was off of Team 7, as he'd requested, but Sakura knew the impending announcement was just a formality. Why else would she and Kakashi be sent on a recon mission with Kiba? True, it wasn't Naruto's strong point, but the signs were there. Kiba and Naruto had always been very similar, in both attitude and ability, so if one wasn't available for a mission, the other would likely be sent in his place. But for recon purposes, it made more sense to send a Hyuuga, and especially in this case, one Team 7 was familiar with. That Hinata or Neji had not been chosen was a major indicator: Tsunade was either arguing with the Hyuuga Clan, stroking Naruto's ego by not sending his new apprentice, or both.

At any rate, Kiba approached the mission like he did all others: with youthful abandon in abundance. It wasn't that he was careless, just that he wasn't as careful as was possible or advisable. Depending on his nose was second nature to him, so in most cases, if he couldn't smell it, there was no need to worry. Despite how often that was true, his endless confidence was a little annoying (and that reminded her of Naruto more than she cared to admit).

But in the end, Kiba being on the mission, instead of any other ninja, was one of the things that saved Sakura's life.

* * *

Naruto had learned many things about the world during his training trip with Jiraiya. He hadn't realized it at the time, but if anything was going to make him Hokage one day, it would be the things he learned then. Being Hokage was not really a dream of his anymore, but even trying to reach that goal still would keep him strong.

Of the many things Jiraiya had lectured him on, the one that concerned Naruto the most was Danzo. Alone, Danzo only had so much power, even as a member of Konoha's council. But that was the point: Danzo made sure that he was never alone in anything he did, whether he had the council's backing, or that of his private army. That a man like that could exist in the village without being exposed made Naruto wonder why they'd spent so much time chasing after Orochimaru, when the true threat to the village remained within.

What worried him most was that Orochimaru preyed on people's emotions, and twisted them until they only knew to do his bidding. Even the people of Konoha had chosen to hate Naruto of their own free will, and he had experienced their cruelty all of his life. He knew what monsters people consumed by hatred could become. And in that case, there was no telling what Danzo, who trained his men until they had no emotion at all, could inspire in his troops. And a man like Danzo didn't hide his hand for this long unless he had an unbeatable strategy to play with.

It was true that Naruto had given up on Sasuke and pursuing Akatsuki across the world, but not just because it would prove pointless until they were ready to be found. The real reason was that he didn't want to be away from the village when Danzo finally sprang his trap.

* * *

Hanabi had never really considered the idea that toads were useful summons. Her encounters with Gamatatsu had done nothing to reinforce that opinion: his threats were easily evaded with candy, which Hanabi began to keep on her at all times. She'd met Gamakichi only once, and only then because Hinata had dragged her to Naruto's apartment for that very purpose. He was polite, but in a way that suggested he was wary of her, which Hanabi could accept, considering her family.

Even Gekiyaku seemed a rather pointless summon: mostly she sat on Hinata's shoulder, occasionally commented on random things, and could use her own tongue as a jump rope upon request.

But Hanabi said nothing, because Hinata was fond of them (but mostly because Gamatatsu's threat of sitting on her still stood). Hinata had always had some unusual quirks. None of them, however, could convince Hanabi to take a bath in Naruto's apartment. Oddly enough, it wasn't Naruto peeking at her that she was concerned about. Naruto had even gone to the trouble of assuring her that the toads had seen plenty of women bathing, being Jiraiya's companions. That, of course, had only cemented Hanabi's refusal to bathe there.

Hanabi was used to getting her way, without any sort of compromise. So she was shocked, not only when Naruto refused to let her and Hinata go to the public bathhouse alone, but sent along Naruko as well. She had assumed that Naruto just wanted to see them naked, but Naruko was so unlike him in attitude that it was easy to forget she even was his clone, and not some ditzy friend of Hinata's.

Looking back, Hanabi realized that Naruto could've and should've kept them from going. If it had only been Hanabi wanting to go, he almost certainly would've refused outright. But because Hinata had wanted it as well, he'd allowed it. In some ways, that made him responsible for everything that happened afterwards. But it was only because Naruto let them go that Hanabi witnessed the true nature of her clan.

* * *

Uchiha Sasuke did not hate his former teammates. In truth, the only person he hated was Itachi. But in his quest for revenge, Sasuke's ideals had changed. There was a time when he never would've taken the same path to power as Itachi. But repeated encounters with his brother had proven that without the Mangekyou Sharingan, Itachi would not fall to him. And so however Sasuke felt about Naruto and Sakura, one of them needed to die. It just so happened that Sakura was the first of the two he came across after this realization sank in.

If Sasuke had ever loved her, he'd long since forgotten what it felt like. All that really mattered was that despite not having Kyuubi within her, she was just as easy to control. There was no need for his Sharingan, no need for genjutsu, not even a need to look into her eyes. His very presence was enough to make her helpless.

"Have you come to take me back, Sakura?" he asked quietly. "Have you come to save me?" In the distance, he could hear the sounds of battle. His associates were still keeping Kakashi and Kiba busy, according to the plan, then.

"Sasuke-kun, all I want is your happiness," Sakura whispered, tears in her eyes.

Sasuke allowed himself a small smile. "Then there is no need for us to fight, Sakura."

A smile spread across her face as he approached her. "Sasuke-kun..."

"Naruto isn't with you," he noted absently. "Was he angry with me?"

"It's not your fault, Sasuke-kun! Naruto is... he's changed. He's forgotten our promise..."

"You shouldn't be so hard on him, Sakura," Sasuke said as he reached her. "He's had a hard life, like me."

Her eyes widened. "T-That's what he said..."

"Oh?" Sasuke asked, gathering chakra in his palm. "Then you probably should've listened."

* * *

Hanabi knew that her clan was still seeking to capture Hinata. It had just never occurred to her that they might try to do so with her present. After all, why would they risk harming their prized heiress? She had failed to consider, of course, that being unable to perform her duties would mean that someone would have to take her place. And if that someone had followers who were involved in the ambush, it would be easy enough to arrange an accident that killed both sisters. The Hyuuga Council always had someone else do their dirty work, so they would only have those people's words to go on. It would be so simple to kill her and Hinata both without suffering the normal repercussions. Anything could go wrong in battle, and just as many things could go right for the wrong people.

Despite all of her training, Hanabi was completely unprepared for the attack. One moment, she had been relaxing beside Hinata, and the next, she had been dragged roughly out of the bath. At least twenty cloaked figures materialized around the bath as Hanabi opened her mouth to shout a warning, but a kunai was pressed firmly against her throat as a silent warning.

Hanabi had expected that Hinata would be taken within the next few seconds, and the attackers must have thought the same.

Instead, Hinata exploded into action, leaping onto the water's surface and whirling into a Kaiten that sent bodies and hot water flying in all directions. As expected, the rest of the ambushers timed the next wave of the attack to begin just as Hinata's spin started to die down (and certainly that would be a simple matter, if they all had the Byakugan). But that was not to be, as Naruko exploded from beneath the water, her eyes glowing a fiery red as she formed a familiar cross hand seal.

But instead of the expected Shadow Clones appearing, ten bear-sized, crimson-furred foxes filled the bath. The red drained out of Naruko's eyes at once, and she fainted, landing limply across the back of the nearest fox.

The attackers froze, and for a moment, Hanabi hoped that Konoha's almost irrational fear of foxes might stop them.

Then one of the cloaked attackers lunged for Hinata. Even from a distance, Hanabi could see that his hands were empty and reaching. Hinata must have seen it, as well: her Byakugan was activated, and the man was approaching her from her left side. There was simply no way he could've been trying to harm her at that moment, so the only logical conclusion was that he was trying to get her away from the foxes.

Whatever his intentions, they ended abruptly when one of foxes caught his neck in its jaws and snapped its head in a single motion, clearly breaking the man's neck. He fell into the water like a stone.

Hinata briefly faltered at the sight, her mouth working silently. Then she quickly bit her thumb, her fingers blurring through hand seals before she slapped her palm against the water.

Hanabi couldn't imagine what good Gekiyaki could do in such a crisis, so she was very shocked when Gamatatsu burst from the water, for once looking perfectly serious.

"Tatsu-kun, save my sister!" Hinata cried as she scrambled onto his back.

The ninja holding Hanabi stiffened, an instant before Gamatatsu's tongue whipped out and wrapped around his wrist, breaking it with almost no effort. Hanabi heard a pained hiss, and then the same tongue wrapped around her waist with surprising gentleness, lifting her into the air and depositing her neatly behind Hinata.

Even with the foxes and Gamatatsu present, the cloaked men were still considering continuing the attack.

Hinata's priorities, which were to secure Hanabi and Naruko, and then to escape in the hopes that the foxes would follow with Naruko, rather than kill everyone there, had been met. But after seeing how determined the men were, she reached up and, for the first time that Hanabi could recall, exposed the seal on her forehead. Hinata briefly touched it, and the seal burned an angry red, causing her to wince. Still, she was somehow able to form a series of hand seals that, while at first completely foreign to Hanabi, start to become chillingly familiar.

However Hinata began the sequence, she was going to end it by activating both her seal, and those of the men who were no doubt Hyuuga Branch House members as well. Hanabi wasn't sure what startled her more: that Hinata even knew the hand seals, or that she was willing to destroy her mind along with theirs. The young heiress moved without thought, yanking Hinata's hands apart before she could form the final hand seal.

"We need to leave now!" Hanabi shouted, and Hinata agreed without protest. She touched Gamatatsu's back, and he took to the air with a powerful leap. The foxes followed after a short pause, the one carrying Naruko in the lead.

"Take us to Naruto!" Hinata instructed over the roar of the wind before she turned to Hanabi.

"Whatever you were going to do, NEVER do it again!" Hanabi snapped.

Hinata's stressed expression softened. "I panicked, Hanabi-chan. I thought they might even kill you."

"So what would killing yourself and them have accomplished, other than pissing me off?!"

"I had to protect you, no matter what!"

Hanabi glared at her. "I hope you don't mean that. Because I know at least one of those men was Branch House for sure, and you would've regretted his death."

Hinata frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I recognized the voice of the one who grabbed me. It was Neji."

* * *

Sasuke's downfall had always been his pride. Pride in his name and his clan had left him no choice but to hunt Itachi. Pride in his own power had made him disregard his fellow rookies as meaningless. Pride in his choices never allowed him to question what he was doing, or doubt himself long enough to reconsider anything. And even though he had not seen Kakashi, Sakura, or Kiba in years, he was convinced that he knew them, and how to take them down. Sakura was almost disappointingly predictable, and even if she had improved, she had yet to do anything against him. Sasuke had thought an apprentice of Tsunade would at least put up a fight, but she was still the same silly girl with a crush.

No matter. She was going to die either way.

Really, a Chidori was overkill. A kunai slicing across her throat would've been far kinder. But some part of Sasuke felt she deserved punishment, if not for wasting his time, then at least for ignoring Naruto's warnings. True, he was an idiot, but he'd also survived numerous fights with Sasuke, where Sakura had not. He was probably even doing her a favor. Another enemy might have done far worse before killing her. Orochimaru certainly would've, if only to enrage Tsunade into doing something drastic and foolish.

But in all his planning, Sasuke had overlooked one possibility. Kiba always fought with Akamaru, so it had never occurred to Sasuke that they could or would separate to complete two different tasks in the field, especially not while one was fighting.

And normally, they would not have. But while Kiba talked just as much and as loudly as he always had, he'd still learned to listen and watch, especially when working with teams he was unfamiliar with. Kakashi was harder to read, having been in ANBU, but Sakura's body reacted a certain way every time Sasuke was mentioned, and Kiba had known from the start that if left alone with the Uchiha, she would die. As far as Kiba was concerned, his failure to bring in Sasuke the first time had nearly killed most of his friends. Allowing Sasuke to kill a comrade was simply out of the question.

So when Sasuke pressed Sakura's shoulder against a tree with his right hand, and raised a Chidori with his left, Akamaru was there to tear out his throat.

* * *

Neji was not in the hospital, nor did Hinata expect him to be. She could only recall Neji being seriously injured a few times, but even then, either Neji's insistence or the clan's had kept her from visiting him. In this case, though, it was more a matter of appearances. It would not do for Neji to be in the hospital with the same injuries as one of the attackers, and on the same day, no less.

On the other hand, if Neji didn't want to be found, he only had to remain on Hyuuga land. That he had not told Hinata that he wanted her to find him.

He was waiting for her at his team's usual training grounds.

"Tell me you had no choice, Neji," Hinata said softly. "Don't force me to stop believing in you, of all people."

"There is always a choice," Neji replied, staring at his bandaged wrist. "That's what Guy-sensei believes. He would say I simply made a less popular one."

"Did they threaten you? They did, didn't they? They used the seal against you?"

"I volunteered."

Hinata found herself unable to breathe. "You did it because you were worried about Hanabi, right?"

"She wasn't supposed to be there. But it had to be then. I couldn't convince them to attack later. And even if I had, the cover of night would only give them more chances to make lethal 'mistakes' that they wouldn't receive blame for." Neji closed his eyes. "I know that Naruto is trying to protect you, and there are few others I would trust your safety to. But you need to realize the position you've put the clan in, Hinata. There have always been those willing to kill you for the good of the clan. But now that they can link you to Naruto, that side has more support, and not just within the clan. I've done all I can to protect you. I can't help you anymore."

"You could join us. I know Naruto would agree to it, if you explained things to him. We could protect each other."

Neji shook his head. "No. That would just give them more reason to come after you. We shouldn't be in contact with each other any longer. I will protect Hanabi-sama as best I can, from within the clan. But only you can stress to her the importance of her role as heiress. It will be dangerous, but I will support her."

"But she's angry. She may not trust you."

"Nor should she. But despite that, she will need support in the coming days. Heiress is not so lofty a position that she can't be replaced or removed. She will need me, no matter how she feels about it. Make her understand that."

* * *

It took Sakura a moment to realize what had happened.

She had been staring into Sasuke's eyes as he leaned closer to her.

And then, suddenly, Akamaru was lying at her feet with a large, smoking hole in his throat. She had not even heard the Chidori, and she could only think of one way that might be possible. Sakura's eyes flew back to Sasuke's. Whatever she had seen before, or thought she'd seen before, was gone. Now she only saw the angry black and red of the Sharingan as Sasuke glared at his blood-soaked arm.

"You... were going to kill me?" Sakura whispered softly.

"Don't be silly, Sakura," Sasuke responded at once, and she began to hope again. "I still intend to."

Sakura was vaguely aware of Inner Sakura shrieking in outrage, but that voice was quickly drowned out by another, which certainly wasn't coming from her head.

Sasuke turned to look as an inhuman howl sounded from several yards away, followed by a blinding flash of light that could only have come from Kakashi's Raikiri. Then there was an eerie silence that lasted far too long for his liking. He turned back just in time to avoid the kunai that Sakura tried to bury in his eye, but it still slashed open his cheek. "So you chose your miserable life over me, finally?" Sasuke asked, grabbing the arm holding the kunai. "Maybe there's hope for you yet."

"I would've done anything for you," Sakura hissed, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"I know. And that's only part of what makes you so pathetic. So do us both a favor and just die."

It was then that Karin came tumbling out of the forest, screaming Sasuke's name. Mere seconds after her followed a monstrous, brown, two-tailed dog, with what remained of Kakashi's upper torso hanging limply from its blood-soaked jaws. In one smooth motion, it dropped the Copy Nin and dipped its head, neatly snapping Karin in half in mid-scream.

Then it looked at Sasuke and Sakura, and for an instant, there was recognition from all three.

Sasuke cursed under his breath, Sakura's eyes widened in disbelief, and the mad dog with Kiba's eyes unleashed a howl that promised only pain and vengeance as it closed the distance between them with a single leap.

* * *

Naruto didn't sleep that night.

There was no definite proof that Hinata or Hanabi would've been killed in the ambush, but to plan such a thing in broad daylight was worrying. The Hyuuga were clearly growing impatient and bolder, and that included the ones that wouldn't mind seeing the two sisters dead. They needed to be sent a clear message that another attack would not be tolerated.

But there were other pressing issues, as well. Naruto had learned everything after dismissing Naruko, but had immediately brought her back out to offer some comfort to Hinata. Hanabi insisted that she needed no such thing, but the little brat had still used his shower, and was currently sleeping in his bed. He would overlook it this time, considering what she'd been through that day.

What bothered Naruto most was the way in which Naruko had defended the sisters. It certainly never would've occurred to him to summon foxes, and he was fairly sure he couldn't in the first place. Even after absorbing Naruko's memories, he couldn't manage it, not that he really wanted to. But there was only one way Naruko could've pulled off such a feat, and that demanded some answers that Naruto really didn't want to explore, but knew he had to.

That feeling only got worse when Hinata came back alone. Naruko had gone out with her, and Hinata admitted that she'd been so preoccupied with Neji that she hadn't noticed Naruko was even missing.

Naruto's first instinct was to dismiss Naruko, but he hesitated. Whatever she was doing, he wanted all of her memories. Better to wait until she returned on her own. Anyway, it wasn't as if she'd just go around killing people in cold blood.

At least, he sincerely hoped not.

* * *

Tsunade was shaken awake in the middle of the night by Shizune, who had two extremely bad pieces of news to report.

First, there had been an attack on the Hyuuga Clan. Witnesses claimed that an enormous toad had plummeted from the sky and crushed a whole section of the compound. Curiously, the only victims confirmed dead were all elderly members of the Hyuuga council. They almost certainly had to be having a meeting at the time. Hiashi was conveniently on the other side of the village at the time, so he hadn't been harmed.

Next, and certainly far worse, in Tsunade's opinion, Kakashi's team had been wiped out, with Sakura as the only returning survivor. Tsunade and Shizune had immediately gone to the hospital to check on her, and received another unpleasant shock: Sakura wasn't there, and had never even been checked in.

"Shizune!" Tsunade barked. "How did Sakura get back to the village?"

"Um, she was escorted by an ANBU. He was in the area when he spotted Kakashi's Raikiri."

"What was his codename?"

"It wasn't listed in the report."

Tsunade scowled. That was sometimes a common practice in ANBU, but at the very least, they were required to list the squad they were in, or on whose orders they were acting.

The only ones that persistently failed to do either always seemed to work for one man, and one man only.

* * *

"I see you were unaware of that particular trait of the Inuzuka Clan, Haruno-san. I myself haven't seen it in almost a decade."

Sakura stared unblinkingly at the old, bandaged man sitting across from her. "You mean Kiba turned into that... thing on purpose?"

"Not quite," Danzo answered. "It's an old instinct, when a partner dies in the field. To extract revenge, no matter the cost. I can only imagine that you were spared because Akamaru was acting to protect you."

"But HOW did-"

"Every clan has its secrets, Haruno-san. The Inuzuka are no exception. It's unfortunate that we lost such exceptional shinobi on this mission, though. To think that both Kakashi and the Uchiha were both felled in the same-"

"He deserved it," Sakura said bitterly, staring at her lap.

Danzo stared at her. "Perhaps. Tell me, Haruno-san. Did he say anything to you?"

"He said I was weak. That I didn't matter!"

"Would you like to change that?"

Sakura slowly raised her head. "How?"

"The Hokage has trained you to be strong, and to heal. But she has not trained you to cast aside your heart and destroy the enemy that dares to stand before you. I can do that for you, Haruno-san. All I ask for in return is your allegiance. Become one of the roots that support the great tree that is Konoha. I will not say the reward is great, but you will never be called weak again. That, I can promise."

After the old man had gone, Sakura remained where she was, thinking over everything he'd said. She came alive with a jerk when a cup of hot tea was placed in front of her.

"Sorry," Sai said quietly, not looking the least bit apologetic.

Sakura forced a smile. "It's okay. I was just... thinking."

Sai shrugged. "Danzo-sama always has that effect on people. I'm used to it."

"Can he really make me stronger?"

"Yes," Sai responded, taking the seat that Danzo had vacated.

"Will I regret it?"

"Yes," Sai repeated. "But I suspect if you had died before I found you, you'd regret it even more."

"You're not going to tell me what I should do, are you?"

"It's not my choice to make, Sakura-san. I can only tell you the facts. Whatever Tsunade taught you, either it was useless against Sasuke, or you just didn't use it correctly. Danzo-sama could help you improve in both areas."

"Would Naruto do it?"

"No," Sai admitted after a moment. "But at this point, Naruto-kun doesn't need Danzo-sama's training. He already understands that even in Konoha, we are not entirely safe. When you understand that as well, you will have little to fear."

* * *

By the time Naruko returned to Naruto's apartment, it was almost two in the morning. She was not at all surprised to find him waiting for her.

"Have fun?" he asked mildly.

"I did what I had to," Naruko replied as she started to walk past him.

Naruto's hand shot out and grabbed her arm. "Not so fast, Kyuubi."

"If you really believed that," Naruko said quietly, "why would you do something so stupid?"

"Because you're not Kyuubi. Not entirely," Naruto said, placing his other hand over her stomach. "You're still me, somewhere. That's how I know this will work."

Naruko gasped as warmth washed over her belly, quickly yanking up her shirt to see the seal that she knew was still on Naruto's stomach. "What did you do?!"

Naruto frowned. "That you don't know tells me that you're not really me or Kyuubi. I don't know if that's good or not. All I did was give you some of my chakra, and it made the seal appear. It always does."

"But... nobody ever put a seal on me," Naruko murmured, tracing the spiral design with trembling fingers. "I'd remember if that happened..."

Naruto's frown deepened. "You really don't remember." He quickly dismissed Naruko, and then turned his thoughts inward. "What are you up to, fox?"

"What is it now?" Kyuubi demanded at once, sounding more grumpy that usual. "I was sleeping!"

"Yeah, right. What's up with that last Naruko clone?"

There was a slight pause as Naruto felt Kyuubi rooting through the clone's memories. "I don't recall giving you permission to summon my subordinates, brat," the fox said in a thoughtful tone.

"Well, I didn't. SHE did. And I want to know how she did it!"

"Frankly, so do I," Kyuubi admitted. "Only use the normal Shadow Clones until I figure this out. If she were to draw on too much of my chakra, well..."

"Well, what?"

"Think of it this way. You're already in trouble for what she did to the Hyuuga. Do you really want to be in trouble for her managing to summon me?"

Naruto's eyes widened. "She could really do that?!"

"Of course not! But do you think the fools in this village would take the time to distinguish between a five-tailed fox and myself? So for once, don't be a total moron and do what I tell you!"

Naruto debated whether he should tell Hinata and Hanabi what had happened to their home. But peeking into his bedroom, he found the sisters sleeping peacefully, their arms wrapped tightly around each other. At the foot of the bed, Gamakichi opened one eye, then closed it again.

"Tomorrow," Naruto decided. "They've been through enough for one day."

* * *

Kyuubi could not leave his cage. What he could do, however, was extend his tails (and the chakra they carried) to nearly every part of Naruto's body, in a sense. It took a great deal of concentration, but it had saved both of them countless times before. It was also the quickest way for him to gain information on what was happening inside Naruto's body.

This time, however, Kyuubi ran into something of a problem.

He had just begun to extend his tails when he heard an unexpected sound. Opening his eyes, he glanced around the cage, seeing nothing out of place, and then happened to look down.

There was a tiny, newborn child staring back up at him. From the scent, it had to be female. The bright blue eyes and the start of a golden curl atop her head confirmed most but not all of his suspicions. Curiosity getting the better of him, Kyuubi slowly poked the girl with one of his tails.

She squealed as the tip tickled her belly, then grabbed it and gave a strong yank.

There was a sound not entirely like POP!

Kyuubi's eyes widened as a miniscule amount of his overwhelming chakra suddenly vanished.

A miniature version of Naruto's seal flashed on the baby's belly, and then she shrieked happily, clapping her little hands. Smiling a gummy little smile, she rolled onto all fours and started crawling, slowly but industriously, towards the fox.

Kyuubi took a step back, realizing what was going to happen already. "We are SO screwed..."

**End of Part 4.**

* * *

**Next Chapter: **

Kyuubi identifies Naruto's new parasite. Sakura blooms under Sai's watchful eye. Hiashi's hand is forced. Naruto comes up with a risky plan to save himself, Hinata, and Hanabi. Sasuke may or may not be found dead (wahaha!).


End file.
